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I purchased a Golden Mask telescoping rod with the intent of using it for my Deus HF elliptical coil. XP placing the battery in the trapezoidal lower rod section however made an adaptation more trouble than it is worth for something I am not sure I will keep anyway. I decided to repurpose it instead to the Minelab Gold Monster 1000 in an attempt to make it as easy as possible to collapse down and put in a rucksack.

The arm cup removal is easy. Just remove the bolts. The grip/handle however is both screwed together and glued. Have to give them credit - beautifully made rod assembly. Some heat from a hair dryer and careful prying got the grip assembly off the rod.

The upper rod is thicker than the standard rod diameter and so the neat little clamps Minelab includes with the GM1000 will not work. Instead standard hose clamps will serve until I get some that fit better.

The upper rod is not quite long enough to get the proper spacing for the armrest, so this is a mockup until I find a short piece of rod the correct diameter to install in the upper rod for a little extra length. Roughly 30" long when collapsed. The coil needed to be shimmed with an extra rubber washer. I used the skinny little Golden Mask plastic bolt but will drill the isolator rod out to accommodate the Minelab bolt later.

Near final product, with way more length fully extended than I need at my height of 5'11" but that is good for working overhead cut banks and poking around in the brush. Click all photos for larger versions. Once I get the rough edges finished this will be a sweet little backpacker unit.

The 2nd supplier is the one that i bought my GM shafts early last year,use mine all the time on my Deus,terrific shafts especially for the Deus coil,as i mainly just use the detector without the controller as i usually have mine in my pocket and just use it as a audio only machine.

But must admit i love the way that Steve has grafted the Gold Monster control box onto the shaft,work and looks very well.

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Subject came up elsewhere so I thought I would run a little poll. The poll only gives you two choices but if you want to post about what you think your number one most comfortable detector model has ever been that would be great. It could be a lousy detector in every other way, all I am looking for it what detectors feel best on your arm when held for long hours. There are no right or wrong answers - this is a personal preference thing, determined in large part by hand and forearm size.
The "S" rod grip is where the grip is just part of the rod itself, not a separate element. The Post grip is a separate post attached to the rod. Lots of people call this a pistol grip, but that really is more about the shape of the grip. I have seen good pistol grips in an S rod design. There are also Post grips on S rods so it is not the S that makes for the S rod grip but the fact it is integrated into the S. The photos here make it more obvious. There is a difference simply between curved shafts and straight shafts but that is actually a separate subject so I will make a separate poll on it.

Decided to mod the 800 rod by switching out the straight middle rod to the White's S rod. I know a lot of folks like a straight rod but by switching it out, it eliminates the detector's handgrip from wanting to twist at the end of each swing. In a side by side comparison, both myself and a buddy with an 800 both like the feel of the modified version. The mod requires the middle rod from a White's DFX, or MXT. The rod needs to be drilled on the upper top end for the spring plunger and again adjustment holes need to be drilled on the bottom for length adjustment. The Lower rod from a Makro Racer or Kruzer is used as the lower rod from the Nox is larger in diameter. The top of the S rod also needs to be shimmed about .040" in diameter to fit snug into the Nox upper rod. Now it swings about as close to an F75 as you can get.

This is pretty simple. Straight shaft, or some kind of curved shaft? The most common curved shaft is the S rod but there are others. Please vote in the poll so it tallies results but if you want to add commentary/particulars that is great.

I was looking for an option to do away with the 3 piece Minelab system. I came across the rods Doc makes for the gold hunters. I might be the first one shipped to use on the Nox. I like the stuff gold guys have, they swing big coils and are in tough conditions.
This is a good price point on this 2 piece system. Also great for tall persons. I am splitting with someone but for $230 we received two fiberglass lowers and a carbon fiber upper each for a unit cost of $115. Be aware this is for the rods only. I have added pictures and in the pictures you can see I have added my own Minelab two piece alum. cuff with neoprene covering [i think one of the best cuffs made]. I have also added a separate hand hold and will not use the detector itself to swing the rod. There are no holes for the Nox arm cuff or control unit you will need to drill for these. Dave

Hi all;
As some of you may know, I've been producing lower rods for the CTX 3030 for about 8 months now, selling them through the forums and my website (www.stevesdetectorrods.com) to a number of satisfied customers. Along the way, I've had several inquiries regarding whether I could build Equinox rods. My answer was always "no," as a major stumbling block was that piece that fits onto the "coil end" of the rod, i.e. the piece to which the coil attaches -- the "yoke," or "clevis," as I call it.
Well, with requests for me to build Equinox lower rods so frequent that eventually I couldn't ignore it any longer, I set my mind on working on a design for that clevis/yoke piece. Once I came up with a working design idea, I submitted engineering drawings of my design to the machining/fabrication company that supplies my CTX rod parts, and asked if they could build me a prototype. Meanwhile, I ordered a carbon-fiber tube from my tube supplier, in the precise diameter to fit inside the Minelab Equinox middle rod, and also some washers specific to my yoke/clevis design. The tube and washers arrived recently, and just today, the yoke/clevis was delivered. I'm pleased to say that it turned out perfectly! All the dimensions are correct/exacting, and I "test fit" the parts with success -- please see the pictures below. The only parts I'm still waiting on are the push-button "spring clip" for the upper end of the rod, and a specialized drill bit for drilling the hole for the spring clip. Those will be here soon -- and at that point my "proof-of-concept" prototype rod will be ready for me to use!
MEANWHILE, given the successful prototype, I am ordering parts tomorrow to make a first batch of 20 Equinox lower rods. As I said above, these rods are designed to fit seamlessly into the Minelab EQX middle rod -- exactly as the Minelab stock lower rod does. I plan to build them the same length as the Minelab lower rod as "standard practice," but can also build them to whatever length desired. I expect to have the first batch of rods available for sale in roughly 4 weeks. Tentatively, I expect pricing to be roughly $60 plus shipping -- but will know for sure once I place that first "bulk" order of carbon fiber tubes and yoke/clevis pieces.
If you have any interest one of these lower rods, please let me know, and I'll be sure to have one available for you.
THANKS!
Steve